Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 01/01/08 - 14/04/08

Accordance ready to renegotiate with Cabinet

Iraq Accordance Front has shown willingness to negotiate with the government and discuss their demands in line with the Law and the Constitution. Accordance Front leader Adnan Al Dulaimi told Al Hayat Newspaper that a new round of negotiations will start off next week with the government of Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki stressing that the government cannot proceed with work while most ministries are vacant. Al Dulaimi added that the government should run the political process by understanding the demands of national powers keen to assure a prosperous Iraqi future and therefore end political deadlock.

Accordance ready to renegotiate with Cabinet | Iraq News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

Iraq awakenings threaten to halt cooperation

Heads of Awakening Councils have warned the US military of halting cooperation in fighting Al Qaeda unless financial dues are paid for awakening members.

Success achieved so far in fighting armed factions disseminating fear and terror by gory explosions around Iraq mainly Anbar Province, is shaking. 80,000 members of Awakening Councils have threatened to strike if they don’t receive their payments of 10$ a day. They accused the United States of using them for dangerous jobs and then leaving them in the lurch.

British Guardian Newspaper noted in Friday’s issue that about 49 Awakening Councils including each 1400 members have stopped cooperation with Coalition Forces while 40 others plan to walk out.

Abu Abdul Aziz, the head of the council in Abu Ghraib, which include 500 said that US Forces are using awakening members to do their dirty work then they get nothing for it.

In Dora, requests of 2000 members of Awakening Councils to join legitimate security forces have been rejected. According to the Guardian, Awakening councils mainly in Diyala were subject lately to kidnappings and killings of which regional intelligence might be responsible, as these forces reject security in Iraq and refuse therefore to engage these members in the political process.

Iraq awakenings threaten to halt cooperation | Iraq News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

Moussa: Arab private sector must contribute to boost joint Arab economic cooperation

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa stressed in a meeting for Arab businessmen in the league’s headquarters the necessity for Arab private sector to contribute in plans and projects in order to boost joint Arab cooperation in development, economic and social sectors. He underlined the importance of achieving UN’s goal in reducing poverty in the world including the Arab region emphasizing the importance of finding solutions to unemployment as the Arab region includes 17 million unemployed.

Moussa: Arab private sector must contribute to boost joint Arab economic cooperation | Economics News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

PM arrives in Basra to check security conditions

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrived on Monday in the city of Basra to check security conditions there, a source from the Basra governor's office said.
"The prime minister will hold a press conference at the oil cultural center during the next few hours," the source, who declined to have his name mentioned, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

A spokesman for the Iraqi government had revealed on Sunday plans to restructure and intensify security forces' presence in Basra, 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. He, however, denied any plans to bring British troops back into the city.

"Iraq's security forces would be restructured and intensified in Basra with direct supervision from the prime minister, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, with the aim of confronting groups involved in sabotage in the city," Ali al-Dabbagh said on Sunday.

Dabbagh declined to give any more details about the number of additional security forces to be deployed in Basra.

A security source in the Basra police told VOI that Undersecretary of the Interior Adnan al-Assadi and the Basra operations chief Maj. General Abdul-Kareem Khalaf had arrived earlier on Sunday, while eyewitnesses from different areas in the province said military forces in large numbers entered the province on Monday via the northern outlets.

The witnesses said that many U.S. warplanes landed at the city's airport.

Earlier on Monday British forces in southern Iraq said they had no plans to enter Basra, expressing readiness to back Iraqi forces in the oil-rich port city if they were asked by the Iraqi government.

"British forces have no plans to enter Basra at the present time. All 4,100 British troops are inside the British base in the Basra International Airport," 25 km northeast of the province," a spokesman for the Multi-National Force (MNF) in southern Iraq told VOI.

"British forces are ready to back up Iraqi troops if the Iraqi government asked us for it," he said.

The British newspaper Sunday Mirror said on Sunday that the United States hoped Britons would return to the city to fight escalated violence there.

British soldiers were stationed in one base - the Basra International Airport - after handing over the former presidential palaces, which they took as a military base, to the Iraqi forces.

The British forces keep 4,100 troops within the MNF in Iraq.

Britain was the United States' prime ally in the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Ceremonies to hand over security responsibilities in Basra province from the British forces to the Iraqi authorities took place at the Basra International Airport in December 2007.

PM arrives in Basra to check security conditions | Iraq Updates

Abdul Mahdi: No Secret Sections in Iraqi-American Agreement

Adel Abdul Mahdi, the Iraqi vice-president emphasized that the Iraqi-American long period agreement must give assurance to the neighboring countries, taking Iraq out of the U.N.’s 7th section and achieving full independence.

“Iraqi officials are serious in preventing the agreement from being against any neighboring country”, Abdul Mahdi said. He also emphasized that Iraq must agree with its neighboring countries on the basis that lead to achieve stability in the region.

In an interview with Radio Sawa broadcasting, Abdul Mahdi denied that the Iraqi part is working to insert secret sections in the agreement.

“Iraqi officials are under observation of Parliament. There is no any political part that monopolizes the decision making in Iraq”, he added.

PUKmedia :: English - Abdul Mahdi: No Secret Sections in Iraqi-American Agreement

Iraqi Firms Participate in Cairo Fair

Iraq announced that it is participating in the 41st session of the Cairo International Industrial Exhibition, organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry this month through introducing the products of the public and private companies, Iraq Directory reported.

Several companies from Iraq are attending the fair such as the General Company for Leather Industries, electrical industries, the General Company for Carpets, Wool Textiles, Brass Group, the General Company for Tires Industry, in addition to the contribution of the private sector.

The Cairo International Fair, organized by the Egyptian General Organization for International Exhibitions and Fairs annually, under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. It aims to create favorable conditions for the work of local and foreign firms and business organizations in the Egyptian market.

PUKmedia :: English - Iraqi Firms Participate in Cairo Fair

Duhok Chamber of Commerce Participates in Adana International Fair

A Kurdish delegation is expected to participate in Adana international commercial and industrial fair due to be held on March 26-30, head of the Duhok Chamber of Commerce, Iyad Hassan, told PUKmedia.

“Around 65 traders from the Duhok Chamber of Commerce are going to participate in the fair,” Iyad said. Later he described their economical relation with the Turkish private sectors as “very strong” as they from already participated in several other fairs held in Turkey.

PUKmedia :: English - Duhok Chamber of Commerce Participates in Adana International Fair

Hike in demand for dollar at daily auction

Demand for the dollar was up in the Iraqi Central Bank's auction on Monday, registering at $120.280 million compared to $46.135 million on Sunday.

"The demand hit $11.055 million in cash and $109.225 million in money transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at an exchange rate of 1,207 Iraqi dinars per dollar, unchanged for the second session in a row, " according to the central bank's daily bulletin which was received by Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).

The 17 banks that participated in the auction offered to sell 1.5 million dollars, which the bank bought all at a rate of 1205 dinars per dollar.
Speaking to VOI, Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, said that remittances were high in today's session raising the overall demand for the dollar.

Aswat Aliraq

PM arrives in Basra to check security conditions

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrived on Monday in the city of Basra to check security conditions there, a source from the Basra governor's office said.

"The prime minister will hold a press conference at the oil cultural center during the next few hours," the source, who declined to have his name mentioned, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

A spokesman for the Iraqi government had revealed on Sunday plans to restructure and intensify security forces' presence in Basra, 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. He, however, denied any plans to bring British troops back into the city.

"Iraq's security forces would be restructured and intensified in Basra with direct supervision from the prime minister, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, with the aim of confronting groups involved in sabotage in the city," Ali al-Dabbagh said on Sunday.

Dabbagh declined to give any more details about the number of additional security forces to be deployed in Basra.

A security source in the Basra police told VOI that Undersecretary of the Interior Adnan al-Assadi and the Basra operations chief Maj. General Abdul-Kareem Khalaf had arrived earlier on Sunday, while eyewitnesses from different areas in the province said military forces in large numbers entered the province on Monday via the northern outlets.

The witnesses said that many U.S. warplanes landed at the city's airport.
Earlier on Monday British forces in southern Iraq said they had no plans to enter Basra, expressing readiness to back Iraqi forces in the oil-rich port city if they were asked by the Iraqi government.

"British forces have no plans to enter Basra at the present time. All 4,100 British troops are inside the British base in the Basra International Airport," 25 km northeast of the province," a spokesman for the Multi-National Force (MNF) in southern Iraq told VOI.

"British forces are ready to back up Iraqi troops if the Iraqi government asked us for it," he said.

The British newspaper Sunday Mirror said on Sunday that the United States hoped Britons would return to the city to fight escalated violence there.

British soldiers were stationed in one base - the Basra International Airport - after handing over the former presidential palaces, which they took as a military base, to the Iraqi forces.

The British forces keep 4,100 troops within the MNF in Iraq.
Britain was the United States' prime ally in the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Ceremonies to hand over security responsibilities in Basra province from the British forces to the Iraqi authorities took place at the Basra International Airport in December 2007.

Aswat Aliraq

Al-Hashemi encouraged Kurdistan's government to implement the Amnesty Law

Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi encouraged on Monday that the Kurdistan regional government implement the legislation of General Amnesty as a "Federal law," to facilitate the process of releasing detainees from d****tion centers supervised by the region's authorities.

"In two messages that he sent to Masaod Barzani – president of Kurdistan Region, and Najervan Barzani – premier of Kurdistan regional cabinet, al-Hashemi appreciated the good efforts to corroborate and reinforce law's superiority in Kurdistan region," said a release issued by al-Hashemi's office and received by Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

The release quoted al-Hashemi, "We hope to see the day when detainees implied by the General Amnesty Law will be released in Kurdistan region, especially when considering that it is a Federal Act," believing this to be a "step that goes beyond its legal purport to be a step forward on the national reconciliation's path."

The Iraqi Presidential Council ratified the General Amnesty Law by the end of February 2008. The law pardons huge numbers of Iraqi detainees, exclusively in Iraqi d****tion centers, and according to certain terms and conditions.

Aswat Aliraq